During conventional bending and tempering of heated glass sheets, wherein the glass sheet is transported between bending and quenching stations, maintaining a sufficient glass temperature for optimal processing is difficult.
If the temperature of the heated glass sheet falls off before and/or during the bending, premature cooling sets up stresses which inhibit bending and sometimes cause the glass sheet to break during bending. This premature cooling is the result of a partial tempering and if the glass sheet is bent, without breaking, and quenched, the tempered glass sheet is not strengthened properly and the improved mechanical characteristics sought by the tempering of the bent glass sheet are not achieved.